President Muhammadu Buhari says he is proud of Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, for defecting to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
He described the defection “as a bold move driven purely by principle rather than opportunistic motives.”
This was contained in a press statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President, Garba Shehu, on Wednesday.
The statement was titled, ‘President Buhari praises Umahi’s defection, says it’s based on principle rather than coercion’.
It quoted Buhari as saying, “I am proud of Governor David Umahi for taking this bold decision in accordance with his conscience and principles rather than any external influence or coercion.
“Good governance is very important to us in the APC, and I’m glad that the governor has cited this as a major factor in his decision to join us. I urge our citizens to pay less emphasis on identity politics if we want our democracy to make a positive impact on our country.”
He noted that “with men like Umahi, I foresee a brighter future for our democracy because the voters will be more motivated by performance records of parties and their candidates.”
“Let me once again; commend the boldness of Governor Umahi for taking this courageous decision in a country where principles are in short supply among many. I know people might call him names, but that is the price men of principles have to pay for acting according to their conscience and convictions,” Buhari added.
Punch
by AdminNovember 19, 2020 2 min read 00SHARES0VIEWSShare on FacebookShare on WhatsappShare on TwitterShare on Telegram
President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the defection of Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State to the All Progressives Congress (APC), urging Nigerians to pay less emphasis on identity politics to enhance democratic culture.
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A statement by Malam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, quoted Buhari as describing Umahi’s defection as “a bold move driven purely by principle rather than opportunistic motives”.
Umahi, on Tuesday, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to APC, citing injustice to the South-East by his former political party.
While reacting to the defection on Wednesday in Abuja, the president said: “I am proud of Governor David Umahi for taking this bold decision in accordance with his conscience and principles, rather than any external influence or coercion.
“Good governance is very important to us in the APC, and I’m glad that the governor has cited this as a major factor in his decision to join us.
”I urge our citizens to pay less emphasis on identity politics if we want our democracy to make a positive impact on our country.
”With men like Umahi, I foresee a brighter future for our democracy because the voters will be more motivated by performance records of parties and their candidates.”
The president also commended the governor’s boldness for taking what he described as a ‘courageous decision’, urging him to ignore negative comments such decision might attract from some quarters.
“Let me once again commend the boldness of Governor Umahi for taking this courageous decision in a country where principles are in short supply among many.
”I know people might call him names, but that is the price men of principles have to pay for acting according to their conscience and convictions” Buhari was quoted as saying.
